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Earth Food Roundup

We wanted to show everyone how easy it is to take action, to reduce our impact and to clean up our space at home. Easy everyday steps we all take to save our planet. Nothing extraordinary and nothing that could not fit into an everyday routine.

In this Monthly Mingle session of Earth Food we all got together to raise awareness for a good cause. Twenty three lovely entries and brilliant posts dedicated to indicate these steps. If you are reading this and still are not sure what action you as an individual can take, I urge you to visit each of these fantastic entries, read their posts and then sit back and think "Is it tht easy?"

It is!September Monthly Mingle Theme

As I was going through some of the previous mingles, it struck me we were missing one vital item on the list. We've had ice creams, savory cakes, sweet desserts and even a mingle dedicated to Arabic food. Yes, we've truly had a few awesome mingles! However, we've not had any drinks. Now what can a party be without drinks? And you all thought I was a good hostess - shame on me. I'm changing all that and dedicating the next mingle to liquids!

Cocktails, aperitifs, milkshakes, smoothies or lassi. Add a splash of alcohol or keep it pure. Shake it, stir it or blend it - just mix up a refreshing drink. Serve it hot or cold but I need it in a glass. Whatever you concoct make sure it satisfies all our Liquid Dreams!

Create a dish that fits this theme. Blog about it anytime from now till September 10th, 2007.

Email your entry with

your name

the name of your blog

name of dish

your permalink

by September 10th, 2007.

In your post please include a link to this post and/or the MM logo, so your readers get a chance to mingle with us.

Please send only one entry per blog. If you do not have a blog, simply email your entry, with a picture (if you would like me to add a picture) to blogmeeta@gmail.com.

Although it's great to get entries from all over the world I have to insist that they be in English. If you have a Blog in another language I would kindly like to request you to post your entries in English as well.

I'd like to remind those taking part to please check these guideline carefully and when you send your emails to make sure all the required details are included. Also please check the permalinks you are sending and take a note of the deadline. You will find a comprehensive guideline and event etiquettes for event participation here.

Now over to our Earth Food roundup.Updates: These are the ones I missed. Sorry!

Daily Bread Journal - Rice and Cauliflower Pilafwhen you make the conscious choice to eat a vegetarian meal, you are asking less of our agricultural production. When you eat the grains, instead of eating the chicken or cow or pig that ate the grain, you are cutting out one step in the chain from plant to human. The fewer the steps, the fewer the resources needed to feed people. So yes, you as an individual can do something to help heal our earth. You needn't do it every day, but if we choose to eat a vegetarian meal twice a week, for instance, we could make a significant impact on our lovely planet.

Tuesday's Gone - Simple Summer GazpachoWhy is it that the tiny trace of pesticide on an apple is more threatening than the bucket of bleach we use to clean our floors?

Cooking Adventures - Summer Salad with OrangesThe greens and the fruits that were on their way to the trash-can, happily made it into our stomach to offer us a light and nutritious dinner! And that’s what I want to encourage everyone to do. Don’t trash your left-overs.

Curry Bites - Fish CurryWhat happens when you watch a movie that deeply influences, raises the questions and suddenly brings clarity to those that has been nagging in your mind for many years?

Taste of Mysore - Stirfried Alternanthera sessilisHonagone Soppu stirfried with herbs and spices is a joy to eat with hot rice or chapathi or any indian bread. The aroma of these leaves blended with spices is very inviting.

Puu's Cookbook - creme fraiche is the new greeni’ve been accused of being a vegetarian, a vegan, a “crunchy granola hippie,” and a treehugger, and while none of that is true (especially the bit about the vegetables), it IS true that i think a lot about reducing my impact on the environment.

A Mad Tea Party - Mango JamThe mango and lime trees, the fruits of which were made into this jam grow in my parents’ backyard and were planted by my father. The yard is also the recharge area for all the rainwater from their house; it will flood temporarily during a heavy storm, and then all the water just soaks into the ground. The trees have not really been watered since they were established; they are completely rain-fed.A strange gourdIt is the real earth food (I will stick to the rules and not send a second entry, Meeta :D ) : growing wild, and becoming a protein rich vegetable (look at the amount of those seeds!) for people living in the harsh arid areas of Western India, where it is hard to grow conventional vegetables.Foodies Hope - GazpachoIt is as simple as growing your own vegetables, WITHOUT using the boosters and artificial means like hormones to grow them bigger and "better looking" vegetables.It's about encouraging the farmers to grow more Organic food and encouraging them by buying from the Farmer's market,thus helping them and us in the process of reducing the negative effects of toxic chemicals in our food and environment and also experimenting with "Super foods" which are full of healthy nutrients.Sounds great,huh?:))Easy Bake Oven - Blueberry Coffeecakeyou have probably heard about the 100 mile diet, where people eat foods produced within a 100 mile radius of them. That’s right, folks… it’s possible!My Kitchen - Homemade Sweet Potato ChipsOne of the small actions that we have been practicing consciously to help our earth is using a timer for the heater at nights. The timer is set to turn the heater off automatically 4 hours after we have gone to bed.Chez Denise et Laudalino - Fava Bean Risotto...we do have an organic garden growing, hence this meal as well I try to shop locally and organic as much as I can and we also recycle.Baking Delights - Vegetable EnchiladasWe are restoring an old farmhouse and we are using earth friendly methods and materials as we can. We are looking in to solar power panels, rain collection systems and 0 VOC paint. We raise dairy goats and chickens and I keep trying to have a garden and someday it will even work!Food Freak - Lemon LassiI buy locally grown organic food whenever possible. I am a subscriber to a weekly local organic veggie box scheme, and all dairy I buy is produced by organic standards and locally, because I think that think global, act local is what will have the biggest impact at least in the first world nations.Ahaar - Summer Pasta Salad...there is a farmer's market that runs through the year. I've heard about Michigan blueberries, morel mushrooms and the cherries. I can't wait to try them all!FoodBlogga - Summertime SalsaThough it’s a small thing, using a canvas tote bag can make a big difference.Jugalbandi - Pea & Mint SoupIt is also not acceptable to waste food.Growing our own vegetables helps us realise how much water goes into nurturing plant life in the quest to sustain ourselves.A very small portion of most vegetable plants are consumed, with the majority of their edible parts being thrown away. We have been attempting to use every edible part of the plants we grow and the produce we buy.Yambalaya - European Gooseberry JamWe triage our glass bottles and jars, carton, tins and actually everything that can be recycled. We bring it once a month to the designated "decheteries".For the Love of Food - Vegetable Soup with PistouWe don’t own or drive a car, instead we walk, bike, take the bus/subway, or rent a car when we really really need oneMele Cotte - Chocolate Earth BallsThey are not only dairy-free, gluten-free, & vegetarian, but they work perfectly for Meeta’s Monthly Mingle: Earth Food.The Singing Chef - Cheesy Bread Spread...If each of us was to say that "Save the World" is a campaign that is meant for the big people and not us, our Earth is going to suffer. It is up to us to do the little things that add up to become the big thing. How do I try? By consuming only what I need, trying not to waste, taking the bus instead of driving, giving to charity not what I don't need or can't use, but what the recipient can actually use, buying fresh produce from the local marketsTezcape - Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, Blue Cheese and Crackers...there is already too much pollution (air, water, etc.) around and reducing the use of pesticides in the environment is just one way to ensure less harm done to the environment. Even marked with non-toxic logos, or approved by EPA, synthetic chemicals are still chemicals. Pesticides are mostly synthetic chemicals. Similar to going organic, going natural is by itself self-explanatory - nature should be preserved at its best.Vegan Visitor - Grilled Polenta with Fresh Tomato SalsaI recycle - a lot, I compost my food waste, we’ve even changed over our light bulbs. But I’m no savior. I would assume that for every good thing that I do, I’m probably doing something energy sucking in return, like drive a car and run the dishwasher - often. Seriously, the stress from saving the planet could almost be too much to handle.Mostly Eating - Cucumber, Chili, Mint SalsaDon't you think trying to shop ethically sometimes seems mind-bogglingly complicated? Should I buy the imported but sun-ripened tomatoes from Spain, or the ones from 50 miles away but that have been grown in a heated greenhouse.TriniGourmet - Spicay Okra MeleeYou would think that with the passing of over 20 years things would be even more advanced now however it seems that in the intervening years we have regressed as a society. Charlie was retired decades ago, and public trash cans are now few and far between. Many think nothing of dropping their litter on the road and walking on.An Italian in the US - Italian style sweet potato saladSince I came to the US, I noticed a big difference between people's behavior here and in Italy, and I must say, the comparison does not make America look too good. So, in a sense, it's very easy for me do something that 'makes a difference' here - the standard is low!!!!!!!Live to Cook - Tangy OatsThe first few months usage of cloth diapers taught me a lot which helped me to design diapers for our need and way of living. Since I didn’t have time to wait for the laundry in the apartments, I hand washed and air dried the diapers. It was nearly 2 1/2 years of efforts. We brought up our son in cloth diapers until he was completely potty trained. We used disposables only during long trips.AkshayaPatra - Blueberry Milkshake My family stopped lighting fireworks ever since I was 13. My dad pointed out the hazards created by the debris and noise of fireworks and we kids agreed. The first year was hard but the feeling of satisfaction was immense. On Diwali while all other houses are adding their share to the garbage and noise pollution, we light lamps all over the house and turn off the electric ones.Food Art and Random Thoughts - Pumpkin, Tomato and Lentil SoupI am fortunate to live in a city which offers recycling as part of our weekly rubbish collection so we separate out our plastics, glass, papers, cans and regular rubbish.What's For Lunch, Honey? - Bulgur wiith MushroomsWell I guess with age comes wisdom and I took control of my own space. I might not be able to save the planet alone but I can certainly clean up the area around me - my home and my way of thinking. I can become a part of those who have also decided to take action and reduce the impact. As I dug deeper I realized that in actual fact it was a lot easier than I had imagined – the best part was – I was actually contributing to saving the Earth. What a buzz!

I thank all my wonderful guests from the bottom of my heart. As I received each entry and read each post I was really impressed by each and every one of you and all your efforts. There was one entry that really bowled me over.

Priya of Live to Cook and her efforts to raise her child on cloth diapers. I would like to say Kudos to you girl and to show you my appreciation I'd like to send you a little something. Please browse through my photos here or on Flickr Photostream and select your favorite picture. Then send me your address and your photo and I will send this to you in a small poster size. It's the least I can do to say thank you!!

Indeed it is soo easy to do a little something for our earth. I thought of another one: not letting the water run when doing the dishes: I soap everything and only than turn on the tap to rinse everything. And try to convince others to do the same :-)

Hey Meeta,thanks for the great roundup! I was really looking forward to reading it, and indeed, it was even better than my expectations!When I was looking at Pryia's amazing post on using cloth diapers, Lucas (my significant other) stopped by, and told me his mom did the same for him and his brother.. he said it was much more economically affordable than buying the disposable diapers, for his parents. I never thought about this as something actually feasible, but seeing so many examples really makes me think about it, if I ever have children!Thanks for the great idea for this event, and see you at the next Mingle!

There is much that is wrong with the way we eat today - great to see how so many of us are thinking about these issues...

Priya, hats off to you - it is the hardest what you did. I did that too - lucky for me, our son was potty trained sooner - almost by the time he was 1 1/2 yrs old. I hardly see anyone these days not use Huggies all the time!

Hi Meeta! I've also started a monthly get-together. I'd like to invite you (and anyone else you'd like to pass it on to). It's called Taste&Create. You can find the info on my blog: http://forfood.rezimo.com

Oh boy! I know what I am reading when I get back home today! Meeta this is so wonderful! I don't know how I managed to miss this wonderful event, but I applaud your efforts to make the world a greener place through your blog! Wonderul wonderful job!

Sorry for all those missed entries. It seems many of your mails have ended up in my spam - very strange. I never got many of these mails. Lakshmi - kindly send the mail to me again. GC, I have updated the post!

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...